Bottle-closure.



G. R. CAROTHERS.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 1, 1912.

Patented Apr; 25, 1916.

THE COLUMBAA fiLANOaRAPl-l 60-, WASHINGTON, D. c:

l lll l. l l l l1 GEORGE E. CARO'II-IEBS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Apr. as, rare.

Application filed June 1, 1912. Serial No. 701,044.

1' '0 all 11) hom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE It. CA- norrinns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Closures, of which the following is a specification.

li ily invention relates to a new and useful improvement in closures for bottles, and has for its object to provide a stopper which may be fitted in the mouth of an ordinary bottle and so constructed that it will permit the contents of the bottle to be poured therefrom, while the stopper is retained therein under normal conditions against being withdrawn entirely from the bottle.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for retaining the stopper in the mouth of the bottle against entire withdrawal therefrom under normal conditions yet permitting said stopper to have a limited movement within the mouth of the bottle.

A still further object of my invention is to so construct the stopper and provide mechanism therefor, which will prevent the refilling of the bottle under normal conditions.

"With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth. and then specifically designated by the claims.

in order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, is a vertical section of the neck of an ordinary whisky bottle showing my improved stopper in elevation fitted within the neck and in its closed position. Fig. 2, is a similar view, showing the stopper in its open position. Fig. 3, is a central vertical section of the stopper, showing its interior construction and the mechanism therein for preventing the refilling of the bottle to which the stopper may be applied. Fig. 4-, is a bottom endview of said stopper. Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view of the keeper shown in Figs. 1 and 2, before it is crimped to the neck of the bottle. Fig. 6, is a bot tom view of Fig.

in carrying out my invention as here em bodied, 1 represents the neck of an ordinary bottle and 2 the stopper, adapted to be fitted in the mouth thereof. This stopper is hol low as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end thereof being fitted with a plug 3, having a. flange 4:, for retaining the cork or other compressible ring 5. A circular flange 6 is formed on the body of the stopper which protects the cork ring 5 upon the upper side so as to prevent access to said cork by a wire or other instrument, so that said cork can not be punctured or destroyed when the stopper is in place within the neck of the bottle.

7 represents the head of the stopper by which it may be manipulated and beneath this head, the body is reduced in diameter so as to form a retaining recess for the cork ring, 8, or other suitable material by which the mouth of the bottle is closed as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Holes or openings, 9, are formed in the side walls of the stopper and communicate with the interior cavity therein and a passage, 10, is formed in the plug 3 so that liquid may flow through the passage, 10, to the interior of the stopper and then out through the openings, 9, and thus around the body of the stopper and out at the mouth of thebottle when the bottle is sufficiently inclined to permit this out-flow as will be readily understood.

11 represents the keeper which may be made of sheet metal drawn in the shape clearly shown in Figs, 5, and, (3, so as to produce a cap which will fit over the head. of the bottle and i'nay be crimped into the groove or grooves formed in said head as indicated at 12. The formation of this keeper also includes an interior cylindrical section, 13. which mav be split as indicated at, 11, so that the flange 6, on the stopper" may be forced through said section, 18, in order that when the keeper and stopper are placed in position upon the bottle as shown in Figs, 1, and, 2, the stopper cannot be withdrawn on account of the flange, 6, abutting against the lower edge of the section 13 as shown in Fig. 2. This will limit the movement of the stopper from. the position shown in Fig. 1, to the position shown in Fig. 2, but prevent its entire withdrawal from the bottle.

The upper end of the plug 3, has formed therein. a valve seat. to which is fitted the valve 15, here shown as a ball and this valve is guided between the lugs, 16, formed with dr'awal of the stopper and and projecting upward from the plug in order that the valve may move 0E and on to its seat in a line with the axis of the stopper and also to permit the contents of the bottle to flow around the valve when the latter is off its seat.

17 is a buoyant ball which may be made of cork or other suitable material or made buoyant by being made hollow. Another ball, 18, is and this last named non-buoyant. A within the stopper ball and the valve are spring, 19, is placed and arranged to bear upon the ball, 18, as clearly shown in F ig. 3. To prevent the passage of a wire or other implement through the mouth of the bottle to the non-refilling mechanism, inside of the stopper, I provide projections, 20, which extend outward over each one of the holes, 9, so that an inserted wire or like implement will be deflected when coming in contact with these projections and therefore prevented from entering any of the holes.

In practice, when the bottle is in an up right position, the valve 15 will be held upon its seat by its own weight, plus the Weight of theballs, 17, and 18, and the pressure of the spring, 19, thus holding it against any chance of leakage but when the bottle is tipped to a sufiicient degree, the balls, 17, and 18, will roll downward compressing the spring 19 and permitting the valve to roll off its seat, thus opening the passage 10, and permitting the contents of the bottle to flow out.

' In returning the bottle to its upright position, when it has reached approximately the horizontal, the reaction of the spring will force the balls in an opposite direction, and seat the valve so that the bottle cannot be refilled when laid upon its side or should an attempt be made to refill the bottle when t is in an inverted position, the liquid which flows in through the holes, 9, will cause the buoyant ball, 17, to forcethe valve against its seat.

It is to be noted that the compressible ringzj acts as'a packing between the body of the stopper and the interior wall of the neck of the bottle and thus prevents the flow of liquid around the stopper.

The user of the bottle under ordinary conditions cannot completely remove the stopper as it would necessitate destroying the keeper and replacing it with an exact duplicate thereof to avoid detection but when the bottle is returned to the factory where it was originally filled, it and the stopper thereof may again be utilized by cutting away the keeper which will permit the Withthe refilling of the bottle, when another keeper may be substiplaced on top of the buoyant ball tuted for the one cut away. This is of considerable importance, where the stopper is to be used in connection with whisky bottles and the like and as it permits the original bottler to re-use his bottles and stoppers at a great saving while protecting his goods from being tampered with by the ordinary methods.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as here shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, is-

1. In a device of the character stated a slidable stopper having a cavity therein, a valve seat within said cavity, a valve in the form of a non-buoyant ball adapted to close upon said seat, a buoyant ball adapted to co-act with the valve, ball adapted to co-act with the buoyant ball, a spring adapted to co-act with the second non-buoyant ball, all of said balls being in constant contact with each other and always under the influence of said spring and means for retaining the stopper within the mouth of the bottle while permitting a limited movement thereof.

2. In a device of the character stated a stopper slidably mounted in the neck of a bottle, a non-refilling mechanism contained within said stopper, means for preventing the accidental withdrawal of said stopper an a compressible ring carried by said stopper adjacent the lower end thereof to prevent the flow of liquid around said stopper and to frictionally hold said stopper in its raised position.

In a device of the character stated a stopper slidably mounted within the neck of a bottle and adapted to be manually operated, a non-refilling device contained within said stopper and bodily movable therewith, and means for limiting the outward move ment of said stopper.

4. In a device of the character stated a stopper slidably mounted within the neck of a bottle and adapted to be manually operated, a valve seat contained within said stopper and movable therewith, a valve adapted to co-act with said seat entirely contained within the stopper and movable therewith, and means for limiting the outward movement of said stopper.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE R. CAROTHERS.

Witnesses: MARY E. IIAMER, M. H. Lo

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, G.

a second non-buoyant 

